Do the Balloon People Have a Right to Publicity?

The boy in the balloon or, as it were, the boy not in the balloon, is a publicity stunt which has many people outraged, questioning the sanity of the boy's father, the intelligence of the media, and the values of a media-driven culture.

But other than the lower-than-usual trick of using a child's welfare to get attention, and the better-than-usual trick of staging a runaway balloon, why is this publicity stunt different from all the others that now fill the Newser grid?

You don't really think Al Sharpton, for instance, is going to sue Rush Limbaugh for damaging his reputation in remarks he made blaming Sharpton for the failure of his bid to buy the Rams? We all know he is going to jump up and down and say he'll sue so as to get some ink.

And then there's Rush's bid for the Rams--which was, undoubtedly as much about the press he'd get as it was about the good seats.

Or there's Sarah Palin's latest press-seeking move, which has her joining LinkedIn and listing herself as looking for work.

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Comments

[SimJack]

I just re-read the Constitution and I couldn't find any reference on the right to publicity. So, I think not.

[violettefemme]

Mr Wolff----maybe you did not read the valid news reports?

The costs of law enforcement professionals, helicopters, ruined crops, and closing down a major city airport? The thousands of people who were adversely affected by the closed airport in the middle of the day?

I don't think the other stunts you cited involved the expenditure of taxpayer money that the entire balloon episode did, nor did they drag along the public out of fear for a small child's life and well being.

You really can't tell the difference in all this? Sharpton's posturing and Rush's NFL bid did not cost public funds or tragic emotions.

The only good from this insanity is that now, finally, after various 911 calls, the father is being investigated as a violent lunatic.

But really---you can't tell the difference? Really?